Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Thailand 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Thailand is 9.3% higher than in South Africa (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Thailand is 9.2% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Thailand are 9.0% higher than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Thailand are 26.5% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Thailand are 43.0% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Thailand is 54.9% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (294.86 ฿) |
54.26 R (100.00 ฿) |
-66.1 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (1,290.01 ฿) |
488.37 R (900.00 ฿) |
-30.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.99 R (165.84 ฿) |
112.42 R (207.17 ฿) |
+24.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (73.72 ฿) |
37.98 R (70.00 ฿) |
-5.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (82.93 ฿) |
65.12 R (120.00 ฿) |
+44.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.56 R (65.53 ฿) |
38.29 R (70.56 ฿) |
+7.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.46 R (32.17 ฿) |
12.32 R (22.70 ฿) |
-29.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.58 R (25.03 ฿) |
5.93 R (10.93 ฿) |
-56.4 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.61 R (135.65 ฿) |
123.63 R (227.84 ฿) |
+68.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.04 R (29.57 ฿) |
22.04 R (40.63 ฿) |
+37.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.74 R (23.47 ฿) |
10.40 R (19.17 ฿) |
-18.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.49 R (74.61 ฿) |
38.03 R (70.09 ฿) |
-6.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.62 R (113.56 ฿) |
140.71 R (259.31 ฿) |
+128.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
36.99 R (68.16 ฿) |
23.05 R (42.48 ฿) |
-37.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.36 R (100.18 ฿) |
82.99 R (152.94 ฿) |
+52.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (22.76 ฿) |
23.74 R (43.76 ฿) |
+92.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (21.26 ฿) |
10.84 R (19.98 ฿) |
-6.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (22.08 ฿) |
16.40 R (30.23 ฿) |
+36.9 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.28 R (22.64 ฿) |
12.92 R (23.81 ฿) |
+5.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.90 R (18.24 ฿) |
12.18 R (22.45 ฿) |
+23.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.52 R (19.39 ฿) |
10.38 R (19.12 ฿) |
-1.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.60 R (34.27 ฿) |
20.05 R (36.95 ฿) |
+7.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (31.20 ฿) |
9.07 R (16.72 ฿) |
-46.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (156.64 ฿) |
325.58 R (600.00 ฿) |
+283.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.97 R (44.18 ฿) |
31.61 R (58.25 ฿) |
+31.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.70 R (56.57 ฿) |
53.14 R (97.92 ฿) |
+73.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (95.83 ฿) |
78.68 R (145.00 ฿) |
+51.3 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (55.29 ฿) |
13.57 R (25.00 ฿) |
-54.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (1,474.30 ฿) |
587.67 R (1,083.00 ฿) |
-26.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (36.86 ฿) |
19.26 R (35.49 ฿) |
-3.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (59.32 ฿) |
34.93 R (64.37 ฿) |
+8.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (156.64 ฿) |
108.53 R (200.00 ฿) |
+27.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.78 R (159.92 ฿) |
85.58 R (157.71 ฿) |
-1.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (681,865.06 ฿) |
492,436.14 R (907,500.00 ฿) |
+33.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
419,697.49 R (773,451.50 ฿) |
500,099.35 R (921,622.37 ฿) |
+19.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.78 R (3,696.42 ฿) |
1,438.25 R (2,650.52 ฿) |
-28.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.47 R (1,040.24 ฿) |
246.03 R (453.41 ฿) |
-56.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
735.09 R (1,354.68 ฿) |
312.52 R (575.93 ฿) |
-57.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
561.62 R (1,034.99 ฿) |
884.81 R (1,630.59 ฿) |
+57.5 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
180.96 R (333.49 ฿) |
175.26 R (322.97 ฿) |
-3.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (221.15 ฿) |
130.23 R (240.00 ฿) |
+8.5 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,428.30 R (6,317.94 ฿) |
7,075.35 R (13,039.02 ฿) |
+106.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
81,293.82 R (149,814.63 ฿) |
227,695.87 R (419,615.84 ฿) |
+180.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
871.92 R (1,606.84 ฿) |
837.10 R (1,542.67 ฿) |
-4.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.94 R (1,017.16 ฿) |
600.18 R (1,106.06 ฿) |
+8.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,635.55 R (3,014.12 ฿) |
1,656.69 R (3,053.07 ฿) |
+1.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,412.01 R (2,602.17 ฿) |
1,322.56 R (2,437.32 ฿) |
-6.3 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,058.38 R (14,850.62 ฿) |
8,732.60 R (16,093.12 ฿) |
+8.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,554.79 R (12,079.68 ฿) |
4,833.03 R (8,906.68 ฿) |
-26.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,175.35 R (29,809.21 ฿) |
21,828.52 R (40,227.31 ฿) |
+34.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,769.83 R (23,533.25 ฿) |
12,089.99 R (22,280.38 ฿) |
-5.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,691.76 R (3,117.70 ฿) |
6,678.46 R (12,307.58 ฿) |
+294.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,278.79 R (2,356.66 ฿) |
3,586.80 R (6,610.04 ฿) |
+180.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,480.03 R (43,270.85 ฿) |
11,575.89 R (21,332.96 ฿) |
-50.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 5.70 | -50.6 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 663 | 563 |
Moving to Thailand? Explore:
Other comparisons South Africa vs Thailand: